St. Landry democrat., 1887-08-06
HOW 1T CAME TO BE WRITTEN.
The Genesis of Popular Poem of the Da.
Described.

Described.
| There exists at present hunger of severa
| thicknesses for information as to how certain
weIl-known poems came to be perpetrated.
And of course the supply keeps pace Will
the demand in lines of poetry as we'll as in
lines of business.
The public has been informed of the cir
cumstances under which Mr.. Key composed
| "The Star-Spangled Banner how Mr.. Reed
| happened to turn into rhyme the story o!
| "Sheridan's Ride" how Whittier concpcted
| his fable about Barbara Fretchie;'' and
| under what circumstances "Curfew Must
Not Ring Tonight was inflicted upon q
long-suffering public.
Of course this work of probing into the
malign influences which impel those addicted
to the poetry habit will still go on. The
people want to know why such things were
written, and what induced the fit of insanity
under which they were produced.
To pander to this craving l interviewed
Mr.. Watterson, of Louisville, day or two
ago, as to the circumstances under which his
remarkable ''get thar" quatrain was Con-
structed. This poem is a short one, but it
contains fire and imagery unknown to many
longer atrocities. 1t breathes the free spir:
of the breezy State of Kentucky.
| may say, in passing, that no other spirits
are free in that commonwealth. Fifteen
cents per glass is the prevailing price.
Another characteristic of Mr. Watterson's
immortal verse is that you can understand
precisely what he is driving at.
1 use the word "verse" advisedly. There
is only one of it. This brevitv is no draw
back, however. The poet said all he had to
say and then stopped. The work is complete
in four lines. 1t needs no continuation. Any
attempt to amplify it would injure it ire
parably.
"Mr. Watterson," / observed, twill YOU
kindly favor the great North American pub
lie with few words as to the inspiration Of
your poem beginning, The lady-bug has
gaudy wings?'"
mo, I WON'T" replied Mr. Watterson,
with apparent ease; II am busily engaged in
demolishing the tariff in an extra strong edi-
torial, and l can't stop"
'But if you will consider for a moment the
Unsuitable craving Of the public for the in
formation / ask, know you will give he
five minutes Of your valuable time"
eyes, know the public is anxious to hear
about me, for am a distin guished man."
responded Mr.. Watterson to this appeal,
shut am also modest and dislike notoriety'
"But this, my dear sir, is a great question.
give the literary world the information it
craves-yes, Misunderstanding the birth
of that immortal ode"
"Well, then" said Mr.. Watterson, gra-
ciously, lin Difference to the literary world
I will give it to you. I had been out late one
night attending meeting of the Society for
the Putting down of Whiskey Straight"
The proceedings continued until late hour
SO enthusiastic were the members in accom-
plishing the great object of the society. was
very much exhausted when the adjournment
was had, and instead of going home I put up
at downtown hotel. slept, but uneasily,
and when arose in the morning found
that some other denizens of the hotel had
taken advantage of my drowsy' condition-a
mean advantage, sir.
"Ifelt decidedly uncomfortable, and when
arrived at the Office and tried to write an arti-
Gle laudatory of the Star-eyed Goddess of Re
FORM my pencil actually refused to do my
bidding. Visions of my experience of the
previous night fitted before my eyes, and
instead of the loneliness of the Star Eyed,
could see nothing but these words 1T gets
thar just the same Again and again, ].
resolutely banished them, but they returned
persistently, until in sheer desperation l
swept the incomplete editorial from my desk
and wrote: The lady-bug has gaudy wings
Rapidly flew my pencil, but faster the
thoughts came crowding into my throbbing
brain, while all my being seemed on fire with
the triumph Of impulse over duty. But
which was duty, the unfinished editorial or
the completed poem? I was conscience-smit-
ten when the devil came to the door and
asked for copy, but my poem was done 1
stood beautiful and complete on the paper
before me, just as it has since become the
great national poem of the country
1.-THE lady-bug has gaudy wings,
The lightning bug of flame;
The bed-bug has no wings at all,
But it gets thar just the same.'
And now you have the story of it's inspi-
ration. Will You take something to drink?"'
Not now, thank you, Mr.. Watterson; but
I am everlastingly indebted to you for your
Good morning"
Don't mention it, my dear sir. Good
morning" WM.H S1y1rER.